them to the kind-hearted girl. art thou? tell me, I pray thee. house for us to lodge in?

And he said, Whose daughter
Is there room in thy father's

She said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, Nahor's wife. We have both straw and food enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed his head, and praised the Lord, who had been with him on his way, and led him to the right house.

And the damsel ran and told her mother all that had taken place.

Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and when he saw the earring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and heard her tell how the man came to her and what he said, he ran out of the house, and found the man standing by his camels at the well.

And he said to the man, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; why standest thou without? for there is room for thee and the camels.

And the man came into the house, and food was set before him. But he said, I will not eat until I have told my errand. And Laban said, Speak on.

Then the man said he was Abraham's servant, and told why he had been sent, and all that had taken place at the well.

And now, said he, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may know which way to turn.

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, This thing is from the Lord, and we cannot speak unto thee good or ill. Here is Rebekah; take her, and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken.

And when Abraham's servant heard these words, he praised the Lord by bowing himself to the earth. And the servant gave rich gifts to Rebekah, and also made presents to her mother and brother. And they did eat and drink-he, and the men that were with him-and stayed there all night. The next morning they rose up, and the servant said, Send me away to my master.

But Rebekah's brother and mother said, Let the damsel

abide with us a few days, at the least ten; and then she shall go with you.

And he said to them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath brought this thing about; but send me away that I may go to my master.

And they said, We will call the damsel, and let her speak for herself.

And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

And Rebekah and her maids rode on the camels, and followed after the servant, who led the way.

One evening, Isaac went out in the field to think, and perhaps to pray. And as he raised his eyes, he saw that the camels were on their way home.

When Rebekah saw Isaac, she said to the servant, What man is this that walketh out to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master.

So Rebekah got down from the camel, and covered her face with a veil; for it was the custom in those days for young women to wear veils when they went out to meet the bridegroom. And the man did not see the face of his wife until after he was married to. her.

The servant told Isaac all that he had done; and Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent that had been his mother's, and she became his wife, and he loved her very dearly.

CHAPTER X.

JACOB AND ESAU.

ISAAC was quite an old man before he had any children. Then God gave him two boys-twins-and he and Rebekah were very happy over this. The two boys were quite unlike each other, and not at all like brothers. One of them had a thick coat of red hair all over his body; so they named him Esau, which means Red.

The other child had a smooth skin,

but was strong and active, so they called him Jacob.

The lads grew up to manhood, and Esau became a great hunter, and spent most of his time out-of-doors, while Jacob was a more quiet man, and fond of home life.

And Isaac loved Esau because he brought venison for him to eat. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

One day when Jacob was putting away some pottage or stew, made of meat and vegetables, Esau came in from the field, and he was very hungry. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with some of that red pottage, for I am faint. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

Now Esau was the first-born, and it was his right to heir his father's property, and to take his place when he died. He should have looked on this as a sacred trust, and not have given up his place so easily. But he was too hungry to care

much for houses and lands, and silver and gold. And he said. to Jacob, I am at the point of death, and what good will a birthright do me?

So he sold his birthright to Jacob for a mess of pottage, and did eat and drink, and then went on his way.

When Isaac was so old that his eyes were dim, and he could not see, he called Esau to him and said: I am an old man, and I know not how soon I may die. Take then, I pray thee, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out into the field, and get me some venison. And make me a nice dish of it, such as I love,

and bring it to me, that I may eat, and bless thee before I die.

And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son; and Esau went to the field to hunt for venison. And Rebekah told Jacob, word for word, what Isaac had said to Esau. And she said, Now, my son, obey my voice, and do as I command you. Go to the flock, and bring me two good kids from the goats, and I will season the meat well, and make such a dish as will please thy father. And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and bless thee before he dies. Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel of me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse upon myself, and not a blessing.

His mother said, Upon me be thy curse, my son. Only do as I bid thee, and go fetch the young kids. And he went, and brought them to his mother, and she made of them such a dish as his father loved.

And Rebekah took the best clothes of her eldest son Esau, which were in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids on his hands, and on the smooth part of his neck. And she gave the meat and the bread into the hand of her son Jacob. And he came near to Isaac, and said, My father. And Isaac said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

Jacob said, I am Esau, thy first-born; I have done as thou didst bid me. Rise, I pray thee, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

Isaac said, How is it thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord led the way. And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my son Esau, or not. And Jacob went near to Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And as he could not see, he blessed him, thinking he was Esau.

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I

am.

And Isaac ate of the venison, and drank of the wine that Jacob brought. And he said, Come near now, and kiss me,